Pokemon Courtship - Of Scars and Bones
by Cottonmouth25
Summary: The Braviary place great value in the scars they acquire over their lifetimes, claiming them to be symbols of courage and victory. The Mandibuzz see the bones they collect as priceless artifacts, spoils of battles against the elements. They are so different from each other, but that does not mean they have to hate one another. One-shot, part of a series. Braviary x Mandibuzz.


**Of Scars and Bones**

 **EDIT: Arceus and cheese, I can't believe I forgot to format this properly before publishing it! This is embarrassing.**

-.-.-.-.-.

Ironclaw was only a young Rufflet, but he was old enough to know with absolute certainty that his people _never_ mingled with Mandibuzz or Vullaby.

Oh, he'd seen the older Braviary commiserate with Flying-types of all feathers. Because they were all male, it was a necessity for them to pair off with members of other species, or else they'd go extinct. His own mother was one of those gutsy Swellow types. Leader Bronzetalon had married a strong Honchkrow chieftain so that their two tribes would forever remain allies, or something like that. Ironclaw was still too young to understand that, he'd admit. And his older brother, Razorbite, was courting a proud Unfezant from a neighboring bird colony.

But no matter what kind of bird any given member of his tribe associated with, Ironclaw noticed, it was never a Mandibuzz.

The Braviary tribe looked down upon the vulturine birds with nothing short of scorn and disgust. They were cowardly creatures, so said the elders, singling out weakened or sick victims and following them from a distance until they died. Rather than nobly challenging their enemies to an honorable one-on-one duel, as the Braviary did, the Mandibuzz didn't even approach their intended prey until they were certain it wouldn't fight back. To be branded a coward in Braviary society was the single worst insult one could throw at another bird. "Coward" was the vilest swear word in their vocabulary.

Ironclaw heard his superiors say all of this and wondered how a Flying-type could be so bad that their entire species was known by such a deplorable term.

He was curious.

So when the brave little hatchling heard Razorbite telling their parents about a Mandibuzz roost he'd seen near the big berry tree in the gulch a couple of leagues from their aerie, he snuck off to investigate.

It would be his first true look at his tribe's greatest foe. He felt so excited!

-.-.-.-.-.

Thornbeak was barely considered a fledgling by her fellow Vullaby, but she had heard enough gossip to know that Braviary and Rufflet were the absolute _worst_ kind of bird.

Being an all-female species, she understood that it was necessary for them to find another Flying-type to pair off and raise a family with. Her dad was a Skarmory, and she'd seen that a lot of her friends' dads were Swanna or Crobat or Altaria, or something along those lines.

"We're not strong fighters, Thornbeak," her mother, Bonetaker, had lectured to her during her earliest hatchling days. "With no males of our kind to consort with, we must adorn ourselves with the most impressive bones to convince males of other breeds of our talents. We make up for our lack of strength and ferocity by being good providers."

Her mother was very wise, with everything she said having some kind of importance. Thornbeak took her every word to heart, preserving them in her memory and integrating them into her daily life. Not that she had much going on in her daily life, being a flightless little Vullaby for now, but one day Bonetaker's words would be much more valuable.

The one thing Thornbeak didn't understand, though, was why Braviary and Rufflet were so bad when all other birds were considered perfectly fine company. So she'd asked her mother, and as always, Bonetaker didn't disappoint her.

Adorning themselves with bones was a practice that held much deeper meaning for the Mandibuzz than just protection or courtship. They did it because life was hard in the wilds of Unova. Food was scarce, and one could never tell when her next meal was coming from. For the unlucky, it was doomed to never come at all. Each bone the Mandibuzz took was a symbol of the many hardships they'd endured. They lived off of the death of others because their own lives were so fragile. The corpses they scavenged and the bones they decorated themselves with served as constant reminder of how close they always were to starvation, as well as a reminder to never take their lives for granted, because it could always be taken away in a heartbeat.

The Braviary, though, ignored this simple truth completely. Their lives revolved around the thrill of battle, and they attacked other Pokemon for sport with blatant disregard for the fragility of their lives and those of their opponents. They bragged and boasted about the battles they'd won and the injuries they'd gotten away with as if they were things to be _proud of_. They were so unlike the peaceful Mandibuzz that honored the fine balance between life and death.

Thornbeak didn't quite understand all of what her mother said, but she did know that her mother was a figure that should be listened to, because she knew everything. So she nodded and stored that information away to be reflected upon later in life, just as she did with all of the other wise things that came from Bonetaker's beak.

-.-.-.-.-.

When Ironclaw finally completed his long journey of hops, skips, and flaps all the way down to Craggy Canyon, he encountered trouble at the berry tree.

The Lillipup growled, taking on a battle-ready stance as it confronted him underneath the tree's shady canopy. Tension filled the dry desert air as the two juvenile Pokemon squared off, a single Sitrus berry resting between the two. Ironclaw felt hot rage pumping through his veins at the sight of the shaggy cream-furred beast that had dared to claim that it saw the Sitrus berry before he did. Those were fighting words, and if Ironclaw was to become a brave Braviary someday, then the only answer to fighting words were fighting talons.

It was the Lillipup who pounced first, teeth gleaming in a Bite attack. His mind racing as he struggled to think back to his combat training with the other Rufflet, Ironclaw flared his wings and dodged to the side. When the Lillipup's paws hit the ground and the canine skidded to a halt in the dusty dirt, Ironclaw leapt forward with his Peck attack and stabbed his beak into the Normal-type's fur.

There was a yelp and a burst of dust as the Lillipup reflexively threw itself away from the sharp pain and tumbled across the ground to land on its feet again. But the second all four of its paws were steady, it leapt forward and ignited a fierce white glow around its teeth. Ironclaw stumbled in his futile attempt to get away, and the Lillipup's Bite snapped shut around his leg. The Rufflet let out a shrill caw of pain as the sharp canines pierced the hard scales and struck soft flesh.

His next Peck attack was desperately ferocious and ended up tearing off half of the Lillipup's ear. The dog howled, allowing Ironclaw to shake his leg free of its jaws and cause blood to splatter on the rocks beneath their feet. Ironclaw didn't even feel the pain anymore – the adrenalin pumping madly through his veins acted as a natural painkiller and fueled him to press on despite his injuries. He was so into the battle that his vision was going red, and it was under the influence of this red haze that he unleashed a Fury Attack and battered his opponent with his sharp beak.

Its fur matted with blood from the repeated strikes, the Lillipup whimpered and scuttled off behind a large boulder, most likely heading for the gulch's nearest exit.

Panting, Ironclaw allowed the battle-induced rush to fade away and his heart rate to return to normal. He took a step forward on his injured talon and immediately drew it protectively upwards with a hiss, not liking the sudden stabbing sensation that shot up his leg.

"At least I got my Sitrus berry," the fledgling said aloud to himself, in order to distract himself from the pain. "And I even won a battle for it! Dad's gonna be _so_ impressed when I tell him about it!"

Suddenly, a nearby shrub rustled loudly, catching Ironclaw's attention. Wary now, the Rufflet kept a keen eye out for any sort of movement, but there was none aside from the disturbed leaves on the bushy shrub settling down to rest on the earth below. But there was no wind this deep in Craggy Canyon, and bushes didn't move on their own.

"Come on out!" Ironclaw declared loudly, as much to dispel his own nervousness as to make the unseen Pokemon nervous. "I'm a member of the brave Braviary tribe! If it's a battle you want, come out and face me in the open like a real 'mon!"

The shrub rustled again, and a small black-feathered bird Pokemon walked out. Its pink, featherless face had a blank, almost casual expression, as if it wasn't looking for a fight at all. Well, that suited Ironclaw, although he _was_ a little disappointed.

"You're bluffing," the strange Pokemon told him matter-of-factly. "Mom says all Pokemon bluff when they're hurt. It's to discourage predators from killing them right away. But Mom just waits from a distance until they're too tired to even bluff. She says that's the smart way to hunt."

"I am _not_!" Ironclaw exclaimed indignantly, puffing out his fluffy breast. "I can totally kick your tail feathers right now, so don't you dare try anything if you know what's good for you!"

"I do know what's good for me," the bald bird replied. "That's why I want to gather some Sitrus berries for my sisters that will be hatching soon. We have to get food now, because there might not be any available when they hatch out."

Intrigued by this bird that didn't seem frightened of him at all, Ironclaw curiously asked, "What are you? And who are you?"

"Thornbeak," she answered, and toddled past him without so much as a glance his way to start picking up fallen Sitrus berries from under the tree. Ironclaw now saw that she had the skull of a Pokemon on her posterior, with her chubby legs poking through the eyeholes. "I'm a Vullaby, daughter of the Mandibuzz tribe. And are you a Rufflet? You're the first I've met."

Reacting with surprise, Ironclaw hopped closer to Thornbeak on his good leg. "Really? But everyone says your kind are cowards, and here you are, not scared of me. And how'd you know I'm a Rufflet if you've never seen one before?"

"We're smart, not completely spineless," Thornbeak answered him, blinking her beady eyes. "And Mom says that your kind are the most violent, battle-happy birds in Unova, so I just figured you were one when I saw you attack that Lillipup."

Ironclaw interpreted her words as a compliment, and puffed himself up even further. "Yeah! That mangy mammal will think twice next time before tangling with the most awesome Pokemon in the region!"

But Thornbeak was quick to rain on his parade. "If it even survives its wounds."

He was momentarily taken aback, not having thought of that. He'd figured the Lillipup would go running to its herd or pack or whatever with its tail between its legs, not that it was so injured that it'd straight-up die. It was a sobering thought for the second or two in which he dwelled on it, which he then shook off like a spring rain and drew himself up proudly again.

"Well, let that be a message to all the Pokemon of Craggy Canyon, then!" he boasted. "Don't mess with Ironclaw, or be slain where you stand!"

However, the Vullaby didn't look nearly as impressed as he thought she'd be. Rather, she adopted a rather distasteful expression and asked, "Did you ever think that maybe your actions have consequences? The world is harsh enough already without Pokemon mindlessly fighting each other for no reason. There are enough Sitrus berries here for a whole flock of Pokemon, but you and that Lillipup were injured because you decided to pick a fight with it over one berry. Is one berry worth possibly throwing your life away?"

Now Ironclaw was mildly offended. "Life is all about who's the strongest!" he shot back at her. "The weak Pokemon that scrounge around for leftovers aren't going to survive, it's the Pokemon that are brave enough and tough enough to step up and take what they need that are! Every scar on our bodies is a symbol of the challenges we've faced and overcome with our bravery and skill in battle!"

"You're going to get yourself killed someday," Thornbeak muttered.

"I'll live longer than you, carrion-eating coward!" Ironclaw shot back hotly, impressing even himself with his language.

Both birds left with their Sitrus berries in an annoyed huff, their backs to each other as they took their leave in opposite directions.

However angry Ironclaw and Thornbeak were with each other now, though, both of them would look back on this first meeting for many sleepless nights to come. They'd think long and hard about what the other had said, wrinkling their beaks in consternation as they tried to fathom what they'd meant. Neither wanted to admit it to themselves, but… did the enemy bird have a point?

-.-.-.-.-.

When a Rufflet evolved into Braviary, there was always a test that went along with it. It was a test of loyalty, of power, and above all, of courage.

Ironclaw watched the Druddigon limp back into its cave, tail dragging hopelessly behind it as it slithered away. His impressive plumage of red, white, and blue was bedraggled and disorganized, stained with blood in some places. Now that the thrill of the battle was over, he could feel the waves of pain radiating throughout his body, originating from the brand-new scar slashing across his belly and parting the feathers there like an ugly crevasse. But Ironclaw paid the pain no heed, not when the victorious cries of his fellow Braviary warriors rang out into the air all around. His fellow eagles flocked to him, spouting congratulations and words of admiration for his awesome scar.

The tribes-Pokemon all parted, however, when Chief Bronzetalon spread his magnificent wings to their fullest breadth in order to officially welcome Ironclaw to the tribe. "It is with great pleasure I recognize young Ironclaw as a fully-fledged Braviary warrior," he proclaimed. "Tonight, there will be a celebration to commemorate Ironclaw's passage from tiny chick to soldier of the skies. His newfound power will allow him to pursue the dreams his valiant heart has always implored him to."

"I humbly accept your words of praise with great honor, Chief!" Ironclaw answered with a bow, unable to keep the grin off of his beak.

Bronzetalon grinned himself as he regarded the enthusiastic young fledgling – no, warrior now. In a rare moment of humor, the Chief clapped Ironclaw on the back with his wing and laughed heartily, and soon the whole tribe was gathering around to repeat the boisterous gesture to the newly-accepted member of the tribe.

That night, there was a massive bonfire on the highest cliffs as the Braviary celebrated. Ironclaw was the center of attention, eagerly rubbing beaks with all the warriors of the tribe, even older soldiers that he'd always looked up to when he was small. His brother Razorbite, several years his senior, treated him like an equal for the first time in his relatively short life. The whole night was nothing but joining the other Braviary around the fire, tipping his beak to the sky and singing war songs in a rousing chorus that brought life to the otherwise empty night.

As it so happened, the night wasn't all that empty outside of the celebration.

Thornbeak's dark feathers blended in perfectly with the darkness as she perched in a dead tree a ways away from the Braviary camp. She didn't have to stray too close in order to spy on Ironclaw's tribe – the fire could be seen a mile away, and the songs could be heard at even farther distances.

It had been years since she'd seen that arrogant little patch of feathers, but his words to her still rattled around in her brain like it'd been only yesterday. It was the questions that the then-Rufflet's exclamations raised that brought Thornbeak here now, spying on them like a petty Murkrow out to take their valuables. She thought that following Ironclaw here and listening in would help her understand what he'd meant about the ways of his kind.

The singing Thornbeak heard was excessively loud and obnoxious, but there was one other thing that was obvious to her – it was full of life and joy. These barbaric birds were genuinely enjoying themselves as they sang songs full of praise for past chieftains, legendary warriors, and their ancestors' greatest victories in battle. They admired the deeds of past generations and lived their whole lives hoping to perform deeds that were worthy of these figures of reverence.

To Thornbeak's ears, the songs were irritatingly noisy and all about behaviors her kind had abhorred since the beginning of time, but they were also something else. They were upbeat and brought an energy to her soul like nothing else ever had. For once, she allowed herself to forget about everything her mother had told her – she closed her eyes and tapped her talons to the beat, enjoying the rare sense of fun that the Braviary's war songs brought.

"Maybe I've judged them wrongly," Thornbeak reasoned to herself. "Maybe we all have. They're certainly different from us, and their ways of life are nothing like ours, but does that make them horrible?"

-.-.-.-.-.

It was when Thornbeak finally evolved into a Mandibuzz that her mother let her come along on a foraging trip. But this was not just any foraging trip – besides food, they were out searching for something very special.

When Bonetaker's veteran eyes finally spotted the dead Krokorok, splayed out in the middle of the barren lands under the oppressive rays of the noon sun, she took her daughter down to the cracked earth to undergo the ceremony every Mandibuzz went through before eating. They had to pay their respects to the fallen before they removed its flesh for consumption. Thornbeak followed Bonetaker's lead, closing her eyes and giving the deceased her proper respect and thanks. This rite took longer than usual because it would not simply be meat they brought with them on the return trip home.

Solemnly, Bonetaker dipped one primary feather in the Krokorok's rapidly drying blood and used it to paint a simple mark on her daughter's forehead. "This rune shows that you have earned the good will of the spirits," the older Mandibuzz intoned. "They grant you permission to take bones of your own, which you will clad yourself in as a symbol of the great hardship that is life's journey. Wear these bones and remember the difficult times we have endured to reach this point, and anticipate the difficult times still to come."

Thornbeak said nothing, only bowed her head in acknowledgement of her wise mother's words. Bonetaker stepped aside, and she approached the Pokemon's body to take what was hers. The bones she selected for her own macabre ensemble would never return to the earth, as was the natural order of things. She recognized this, and offered up a silent thank-you to the spirits for allowing her to claim such sacred objects for herself. She was in their debt, and would continue to honor the deceased for as long as she had breath in her body.

Two more Mandibuzz descended from the sky to join them, but made no move toward the corpse until the ritual was complete. They nodded to Bonetaker and Thornbeak – the latter of which was now properly festooned with the bone decorations their species loved – and together, the four females divided up the meal equally. The entire process was done in complete silence. Any noise at all might disturb the passing of the deceased's spirit from the body to the world beyond, so idle chatter was not appropriate.

The Dark-and-Flying-types were long gone by the time Ironclaw stepped out from behind the boulder he'd hidden behind to watch the proceedings.

He didn't want to admit it, but although the ceremony had been boring and aggravating to watch, the Braviary felt… awed. Yes, that was it. He was awed by the intricacy with which the Mandibuzz had conducted Thornbeak's rite of passage, so different from his own. It was solemn, it was quiet, and it was ordinary, unlike the wild parties his kind threw for fledgling warriors and more like a chore to be carried out.

And yet, despite his disappointment – for he had always imagined, on the rare occasions he'd privately think about such things, that Mandibuzz rites of passage would be more exciting – he realized it was a strangely perfect fit for the words Thornbeak had first spoken to him. The reverence with which her and her mother treated that carcass mirrored the concern she'd felt about the Lillipup he'd injured just before they'd met. Her words now came back to haunt him as the four Mandibuzz abandoned the dead Krokorok to desiccate in the sun.

The epiphany hit him just then – the great difference between their tribes. The Braviary approach to life was mostly in the moment, taking on enemies when they came and celebrating each battle, despite any loss of life, as a great victory that only heralded still greater victories to come. But the Mandibuzz approach to life seemed slower, taking the time to truly think about the misfortunes of others when no-one else would. They weren't warriors, and they certainly weren't powerful like the Braviary, but because of that they found their own ways to survive by associating on such intimate terms with death.

"We Braviary don't worry too much about the lives we've taken," he mused now. "So the Mandibuzz do it for us, and we look down on them for it. They're cleaning up our messes because that's how they've learned to survive, like how we've learned to face our hardships head-on instead of waiting for them to pass."

This epiphany made Ironclaw feel almost as wise as Chief Bronzetalon, and he felt a newfound respect for Thornbeak and her tribe that no self-respecting Braviary had probably ever felt in a thousand years.

-.-.-.-.-.

The second time Ironclaw and Thornbeak crossed paths was during a particularly hard time.

A drought had struck the Unovan wastelands, the worst any Flying-type tribe could remember. Even the hardiest berry trees were shriveling up, and it was difficult for the predatory birds to find nourishment with their prey dropping left and right. There were whispers going around that Landorus had succeeded in punishing the twin rain gods, Thundurus and Tornadus, for their trickery. There had been sightings of the Sacred Swordsmen galloping across the land to help Pokemon in need, or at least that was what some said.

Ironclaw was far from the rest of his folk, having been separated from them in a huge clash over territory with a neighboring tribe of Altaria. They might have had the power of dragons on their side, but the Braviary had won the uphill battle with their sheer strength and tenacity. Ironclaw himself had gotten so caught up in fighting one of the Dragon-and-Flying-types that he'd gotten lost, and had to drag his wound-riddled body into the shade of a cliff to rest.

When the blood from the scratches had stopped oozing and the pain had dulled to an ache, Ironclaw found the will within him to move again. He wanted to check out something he'd noticed while resting from his injuries – even for the weak nostrils of a Flying-type, the smell of meat was strong and compelling. Even a proud soldier of the sky would've settled for anything at this point, as long as it would fill his belly.

He turned the corner and, still safe in the shade from the overhanging rock, found it to be a Stoutland, long dead. A jolt of – guilt, perhaps? – flickered through Ironclaw's heart, and he wondered if the Pokemon before him now could possibly have once been the Lillipup he'd picked a fight with long ago.

Then he felt a pair of eyes on him, and Ironclaw felt a second flicker of something, this time shock. It was Thornbeak crouched over the body, staring at him critically.

"It's you," she stated. "Why don't you leave me to my dinner and go find some other life to end?"

Instinctively, Ironclaw bit back the snappy reply that was already forming on his tongue, and went with something more polite. "Look, I'm separated from the rest of my tribe and I haven't had anything to eat in days. I don't want to fight –"

"Mercy!" Thornbeak fake-gasped. "A Braviary that doesn't want to fight? Should I check the skies for flying Pignite?"

"…so would you be willing to let me share your meal and stay until my wounds stop hurting?" he finished through a gritted beak.

The Mandibuzz made a huge show of rolling her eyes and muttering offensive things under her breath, but she shuffled to the side to give him some room. Ironclaw nodded to her in thanks as he stepped forward to eat, but he paused and closed his eyes for a second before he started stuffing himself. Thornbeak narrowed her eyes at him – it looked suspiciously like he was doing what she'd done a hundred times by now, thanking the spirits for the chance to take advantage of the deceased. But she couldn't be sure.

As they took turns tearing off morsels from the dead Stoutland, they'd glance curiously at each other. Thornbeak noticed that Ironclaw was content with taking his meat more from the outside so as not to get his head feathers dirty, while the latter saw that the former showed no shame in sticking her bald head straight into the body to get at the good stuff. At some point, their gazes were destined to meet, and eventually Ironclaw caught his reluctant acquaintance scrutinizing him suspiciously.

"What?" he said defensively.

"So, you seemed a little hesitant to join me earlier," she replied, giving a casual shrug as if she couldn't care less. "Is the great warrior too proud to scrounge around with a scavenger?"

Ironclaw fluffed out his crest indignantly, but he didn't reply until he'd settled back down. "No, even I know better than to turn down an opportunity in the middle of a food shortage," he muttered. "I was… uh… thanking Arceus, sort of, for sending this meal… and expressing remorse that it had to be at someone else's expense."

He said that last part in a very quiet voice and with a definite blush of embarrassment making itself known through his facial feathers. Thornbeak's eyebrows rose as high as they would go as she looked upon the mortified Braviary, admitting to doing such a Mandibuzz-like thing – in front of an actual Mandibuzz, no less!

"Why?" she asked, interested despite herself.

"Because I've seen your kind do it," Ironclaw huffed. He clearly hated to admit it, but the Purrloin was already out of the bag, so he may as well spill the rest. "I know the rest of my tribe would probably clip my tail feathers for this, but when I got my first look at your way of life, it was… eye-opening. You honor things, just like we do! You just do it for different things and for different reasons. You aren't fighters, so you depend on the gods to bring you food and you never take it for granted.

"Look, my tribe doesn't give yours enough credit, I think," he finished, determinedly not looking at Thornbeak as he talked. "But in your own way, you're as much of a warrior as I am. You live on the razor's edge, but you fight against starvation, not against other Pokemon. And it was you who first made that clear to me, back when we were chicks."

If Thornbeak was being honest with herself, she was floored by how quickly this Flying-type got down off of his proverbial perch and went against his entire species by complimenting her. No, that wasn't it – by actually _understanding_ her. He admitted to being curious about Mandibuzz culture, which was a beak-dropper in and of itself, and then showed that he was smart enough and open-minded enough to accept it for what it was.

"Let me tell you a secret," she finally spoke up, letting out a sigh. "I killed this Stoutland myself."

Now it was Ironclaw's turn to be floored. His eyes went wide and his beak repeatedly opened and closed as he tried to express his shock.

"Stop with the theatrics, you look like a Magikarp," Thornbeak dismissed him. "Anyway, this thing was injured and suffering in the heat, and it was the only Pokemon I'd seen all day, so I took its life. It goes against my tribe's ways to do such a thing, because it essentially amounts to stealing from Arceus to actively take when He is kind enough to provide for us. But I think if I hadn't put this Pokemon out of its misery, I'd have grown weak with hunger and died under the sun."

Finally, Ironclaw found his voice. "That's what a Braviary would have done. Well, we wouldn't have given it a second thought, and we'd be disappointed if it didn't put up a fight…"

"The point is," she continued, "I did what you told me about years ago. I stepped up and showed my strength, because a weak Pokemon would otherwise starve. See, I might not agree with all of your customs, Braviary, but we're not too different from one another. Your scars, for instance – they're symbols, like our bones. They stand for your strength and courage, like how our bones stand for our triumphs against life's hardships. And they're also a sacrifice – you endure great pain to obtain them, like how other Pokemon must die for us to obtain our bones."

Ironclaw was silent as he took her words in, trembling with pride and excitement. They went back to eating for a while, although it was only a few minutes before he spoke up again.

"It's Ironclaw, actually," he introduced himself.

"Thornbeak," she replied, giving him a half-smile. "Pleasure to properly meet you at last."

"You know, we could learn a lot more from each other," Ironclaw proposed, now grinning slightly. "Maybe we could stick together from here on out?"

"Hmm, you've lost your tribe, and we Mandibuzz are mostly solitary," mused Thornbeak. "I don't think anyone will miss us if we go it alone for a while."

After they'd eaten their fill, it was customary, according to Thornbeak, to take a long rest so that they wouldn't get sick flying on such full stomachs. As they waited for the meal to work its way through their systems, they passed the time by preening each other's feathers. Thornbeak complained sarcastically about the state of Ironclaw's plumage in comparison to hers, but cleaned him anyway, careful not to irritate any of his injuries.

The very act of preening, in a way, was a symbol as well – a symbol of their newfound partnership, a first between Braviary and Mandibuzz. They were friends now, but neither of them denied entirely the tender feelings of affection they privately felt in their hearts.

-.-.-.-.-.

 **The names of the two main 'mons come from 'The Divide' trilogy, after a mated pair of griffins that serve as important recurring characters. According to the books, the males love math and females prefer history, so there's a tension between the two that I replicated by making the Braviary and Mandibuzz tribes enemies.**

 **I'm planning on making this a series of sorts, so if there are any Pokemon you'd like to see me pair up, feel free to send a request. (My next fic will be a request done for Arcanine x Ninetales, just a heads-up!)**


End file.
